Personal blog of Karen Shiels. Blogging about love, life, family and anything else that comes to mind!

All posts tagged: love

I have September fatigue already. This is not a teary eyed post about the first day of school, I promise. My two are long past their first day at school. I am tired of the back to school posts, advertisements and memes that are rejoicing in the school’s reopening after the summer holidays. you know the ones, they tell you how great it is to be getting rid of the kids for most of the […]

Hello from a rain-soaked Crabtree Cottage. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was mid November in Leitrim today. Only thing for it is to keep busy! I’m still practising the art of stoicism and all in all it’s going well. Acceptance is a funny old thing really. My eldest is in her teens and up until now I hadn’t realised that I was having trouble accepting that she is really coming into her own. Although I […]

Love doesn’t sit there like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all of the time, made new. ~Ursula K. Le Guin I think Le Guin has hit the nail on the head. Love is fluid and changes over time. Yesterday marked the 16th anniversary of our wedding day. A day that was celebrated in a low key manner with a few close friends and family. It was a day that marked […]

After an early start to the day……the boy had a rugby blitz and it was an hours drive from home. On the plus side it wasn’t far from my mum and sister, so we dropped by my mum’s for a quick cuppa and a chat. This lovely lady called to see us, never a dull moment when you have lovely nieces and a nephew to share a joke with.

The joys of having a sporty child!! I myself would happily survive with a never ending supply of books, a stash of notebooks and some lovely pens………however the boy child loves to kick ball in the fresh air, especially with friends. Gaelic, soccer or rugby he really isn’t fussy. I’m beginning to think the only necessary ingredient is muck!! Lots of it. We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons… but few have the courage […]

What’s seldom is wonderful. This evening myself and my lovely husband are heading out for a few hours without the company of our dear children. I have looked forward to this evening all week long.As the day progressed could feel the hours skipping by and eventually it was time to get ready to head out! It’s absolutely lovely after all these years to still feel excited about heading out with Darren. As I was getting […]

My last blog reflected my feelings during the past few weeks…………meh………..to say the least! Writing about the madness and the rudeness of it all helped get it out of my system, helped me move on and dare I say laugh at the silliness that surrounded the escapade. So, I picked myself up, dusted myself off and resumed the job hunt and even got another interview, one which restored my faith in humanity! I also had […]

Day 96 Friday May 23rd I walk by this dozens of times each day and each time I catch a glimpse of my two lovelies I smile. It’s a lovely memento of a very happy time spent in a beautiful place with people who mean the world to me. It was taken a few years ago and while the years have brought many changes to those two beautiful little faces the place they hold in […]

Day 83 Saturday May 10th An Auntie Selfie or so I’m told. Me and my gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous niece and nephew. Yes, I am absolutely mad about them. There is a niece missing and she is as gorgeous and dear to my heart as these two lovelies. They are the best pressies I have ever received from my sister. Mammy Byrne has a broken bone in her foot and hasn’t been able to visit Leitrim […]

Day 65 April 22nd At last!!! I’m going to say it’s a year since this glasshouse took up residence in my garden, it could be longer. It sat in the garden on pallets for a short time………obviously acclimatizing to the environment. It was erected in a matter of hours and the glass panels where washed down, one or two had to be replaced after the dog ran through them chasing the cat. Everyone was instructed […]